Customer Satisfaction [COMPLETE]

Altered Perspectives

Kate snapped awake, pulling herself in a sitting position. The reality of last night crashed over her, and her mouth dropped open in horror. She stuffed her fist in her mouth to prevent a scream, and looked over at Luke in horror, who was lying beside her, fast asleep. Had she really attacked him last night, and demanded he...he...

Oh, God. She felt her face flush a furious red. Trembling, drowning in embarrassment, she tried to extricate herself carefully from the bed. She was tangled in the sheets, which were caught beneath Luke. A little pull--there we go--a tug there and--

She went sprawling off the bed with a loud "Oof!"

There was movement on the sheets and a soft, mumbled, "Babe?"

She froze.

A rustle, and then the movement settled. She waited a beat, then quietly tugged at her foot, which was caught in the sheets. A warm handed landed on her foot, and she suppressed a startled gasp.

Luke's voice sounded sleep scratchy, "Chipmunk?"

She winced for a moment at the nickname, then remembered him admitting in heated tones that it turned him on. A rush of heat paralyzed her, and her stomach twisted in knots.

A soft touch toyed with her toes. "What're you doing down there?"

Playing dead. She grimaced. "Uh...breakfast?" her voice came out a bit higher than she had wanted. She clamped her mouth shut.

"Sure...How about I make some today?"

Her eyes widened in horror. She didn't think she could watch him make her breakfast without losing her cool. It was too much for her sanity.

"Are you planning to stay there the rest of the day?" he sounded amused.

Grunting in response, she pushed up, jerking her leg free, and turning to give him a cursory glance, trying to appear supremely detached. It wasn't easy. God, mussed morning hair did him good. "Bathroom." she mumbled, disappearing from the room in a flash.

Half an hour later, she found herself seated at the counter, watching him crack eggs on the skillet like a professional while she nursed a cup of coffee. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts as he stirred, and she tried and failed at preventing her eyes travel down his length. He sprinkled salt in the skillet, and she marveled at his fingers. They were so long, but not delicately so. He had strong, agile hands, and he apparently knew how to use them...

Her gaze slid up, and she caught his eyes. He had been watching her staring. She snapped straight, flushing a deep crimson, but his response was a wry smile before he pulled the skillet off the stove.

It dawned on her that there was something different about the way he was looking at her. It had never occurred to her until today, but she realized he had always looked at her as if from a distance, with a wall between them. But his gaze was reflective today, openly appreciative, sliding over her with warmth and flashes of...possessiveness?

She cast around for something to say. "Do you think you can feed the fish tonight? I have a late class, and a date with David afterwards. I won't be back by..." she trailed off, only realizing too late that mentioning David wasn't the best course of action after last night.

He looked at her, his expression pleasant, even though something flashed in his eyes. "A date with David." he mused, "After you asked me to make love to you last night. Good going, Kate."

Her heart thudded, and like an idiot, she found herself protesting, "I didn't ask you to make love to me. I asked you to f...to fu..." she flushed, unable to utter the words in the light of the day.